Best Creatine Pills and Capsules (2026): Pills per 5 g, Price and Testing
By Erin Rose Updated October 5, 2026 Methodology
Buy Animal Ready-To-Go Creatine Capsules. Four pills make 5 g of creatine, for $0.59 per 5 g. It is on the NSF/ANSI 173 list, which checks that each serving holds the creatine the label says.
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Cheapest: Micro Ingredients at $0.34 per 5 g, but it takes 7 pills and is on no testing list. See all 9.
Every creatine capsule we checked, ranked
We read each bottle's Supplement Facts, searched five testing lists for it, and priced it per 5 g of creatine. We rank on three things, in this order: a testing list, the fewest pills for 5 g, then the lowest price. All 9 are creatine monohydrate.
| Capsules | Testing list | Pills for 5 g | Per 5 g |
|---|---|---|---|
 1. Animal Ready-To-Go 1.25 g a pill, gelatin (beef) capsule. 300 pills = 75 days of 5 g. | NSF/ANSI 173 Universal Nutrition listing, 4 capsules a day | 4 | $0.59 |
 2. Optimum Nutrition 1.25 g a pill, gelatin capsule. 300 pills = 75 days of 5 g. | Informed Choice listed as Micronized Creatine Capsules | 4 | $0.67 |
 3. Sports Research 1.25 g a pill, vegetarian capsule. 120 pills = 30 days of 5 g. | Informed Sport listed as Creatine Monohydrate Capsules | 4 | $1.00 |
 4. Jacked Factory 1 g a pill, gelatin capsule. 150 pills = 30 days of 5 g. | Informed Choice listed as Creatine Monohydrate Capsules | 5 | $0.67 |
 5. Vega 833 mg a pill, vegetarian capsule. 180 pills = 30 days of 5 g. | Informed Choice listed as Creatine Monohydrate Capsules | 6 | $0.61 |
 6. Pristine's 750 mg a pill, shell not stated on Amazon. 300 pills = 45 days of 5 g. | NSF/ANSI 173 FedPharm listing, 4 capsules a day | 7 | $0.58 |
 7. NOW Sports 750 mg a pill, vegetarian capsule. 120 pills = 18 days of 5 g. | Informed Sport listed as NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Capsules | 7 | $0.65 |
 8. Micro Ingredients 714 mg a pill, gelatin capsule. 500 pills = 71 days of 5 g. | None found | 7 | $0.34 |
 9. Nutricost 750 mg a pill, gelatin capsule. 500 pills = 75 days of 5 g. | None found | 7 | $0.44 |
- Animal Ready-To-Go ($0.59) is our pick: on a testing list, 4 pills for 5 g, and the lowest price of the 4-pill capsules.
- Optimum Nutrition ($0.67) is also 4 pills. It is on Informed Choice, which tests for substances banned in sport. It costs about $2.42 more a month than Animal at 5 g a day.
- Pristine's ($0.58) is slightly cheaper per 5 g than Animal and on NSF/ANSI 173, but it takes 7 pills, and its Amazon listing does not show the capsule shell or other ingredients.
- Micro Ingredients ($0.34) is the cheapest per 5 g. It takes 7 pills, and we found it on no testing list.
How many creatine pills make 5 g?
Between 4 and 7, depending on the brand. Divide 5 g by the creatine in one capsule. A 1.25 g capsule takes 4 pills. A 750 mg capsule takes 7, because 6 give only 4.5 g. Where 5 g falls between two pill counts, we round up. Most people take 3 to 5 g of creatine a day, the daily amount in the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand. For timing and loading, see the creatine dosage guide.
Pill counts also change how long a bottle lasts. The 300-capsule tubs from Animal and Optimum Nutrition give 75 days of 5 g. NOW's 120-capsule bottle gives 18.
Which creatine capsules are third-party tested?
7 of 9. We searched each program's own list on October 5, 2026. A listing counts only if it names this capsule product, not the brand's powder.
- NSF/ANSI 173 lists Animal Ready-To-Go Creatine Capsules and Pristine's Creatine Monohydrate (capsules). This standard checks that the label amount is right and that contaminants stay under set limits.
- Informed Choice (October 2026 list) lists Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules, Vega Creatine Monohydrate Capsules and Jacked Factory Creatine Monohydrate Capsules. It tests products for substances banned in sport.
- Informed Sport lists NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Capsules and Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate Capsules. It tests every batch for substances banned in sport before release. NOW's listing does not name a bottle size.
- NSF Certified for Sport and USP Verified list none of the 9. NSF Certified for Sport lists creatine powders from some of these brands, but no capsules.
- Nutricost and Micro Ingredients are on none of these lists. Nutricost's listing says "third party tested." That is the brand's own claim. No public list we can check backs it.
Proof: our pick and runner-up on their testing lists
NSF/ANSI 173: Animal
Informed Choice: Optimum Nutrition
Testing matters most if you get drug-tested for sport or work. For everyone else, it shows the company lets an outside lab check its product. It does not mean the creatine works better.
What the labels say
Both panels give 2.5 g of creatine monohydrate in 2 capsules, 150 servings a tub. Both capsules are made of gelatin. If you avoid gelatin, Vega, NOW Sports and Sports Research use vegetarian capsules.
| Capsules | Other ingredients |
|---|---|
| Animal Ready-To-Go | gelatin (bovine), magnesium stearate |
| Optimum Nutrition | gelatin, magnesium stearate |
| Sports Research | hypromellose capsule, organic rice extract blend |
| Jacked Factory | gelatin (capsule), rice flour, magnesium stearate |
| Vega | vegetarian capsule, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide |
| Pristine's | not shown on the Amazon listing or brand page |
| NOW Sports | hypromellose (cellulose capsule), stearic acid |
| Micro Ingredients | ascorbyl palmitate, gelatin (capsule) |
| Nutricost | gelatin capsule, magnesium stearate, silica |
Magnesium stearate, stearic acid and silica help the powder flow into capsules. For labels with nothing but creatine, see creatine without fillers.
Creatine capsules vs powder
Same creatine, more money. A capsule is creatine monohydrate powder in a shell. You pay for not mixing a scoop, and you swallow 4 to 7 pills instead.
| Product | Per 5 g | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Optimum Nutrition powder (1 scoop) | $0.30 | $8.99 |
| Optimum Nutrition capsules (4 pills) | $0.67 | $20.00 |
| Animal capsules, our pick (4 pills) | $0.59 | $17.58 |
| Micro Ingredients capsules, cheapest (7 pills) | $0.34 | $10.14 |
From the same brand, Optimum Nutrition's capsules cost 2.2 times its powder per 5 g, about $11.01 more a month. Our capsule pick costs about 2.0 times the powder. Capsules make sense if you will not mix a scoop every day. If you will, powder is cheaper: see the Nutricost vs Thorne powder comparison. For HCl, buffered and other forms, see creatine forms compared. Gummies are another option, but published lab tests found many below their label: creatine gummies.
Who should buy which
- You want the best creatine pillAnimal Ready-To-Go
On NSF/ANSI 173. 4 pills for 5 g, $0.59 per 5 g, 75 days a tub. Gelatin capsule. Check price.
- You get drug-tested for sportNOW Sports
On Informed Sport, which tests every batch. $0.65 per 5 g, 7 pills. Want fewer pills? Sports Research is also on Informed Sport, 4 pills, $1.00 per 5 g. Check price.
- You don't eat gelatinVega
Vegetarian capsule, on Informed Choice. 6 pills for 5 g, $0.61 per 5 g. Check price.
- You only want the lowest priceMicro Ingredients
$0.34 per 5 g, 7 pills. Not on a testing list. Check price.
- You can take a scoopOptimum Nutrition powder
$0.30 per 5 g, one scoop. Check price.
More creatine guides: Creapure creatine, third-party tested creatine, creatine dosage guide and all creatine guides.
Questions
What are the best creatine pills?
Animal Ready-To-Go Creatine Capsules. Four capsules make 5 g of creatine monohydrate, it costs $0.59 per 5 g on Amazon, and it is on the NSF/ANSI 173 list, which checks that the label amount is right. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules is the runner-up: also 4 capsules for 5 g, $0.67 per 5 g, and on the Informed Choice list, which tests for substances banned in sport.
How many creatine pills equal 5 g?
It depends on how much creatine is in each pill. Divide 5 g by the creatine in one capsule. Of the 9 we checked, Animal, Optimum Nutrition and Sports Research need 4 pills (1.25 g each). Jacked Factory needs 5 (1 g each). Vega needs 6. NOW, Pristine's, Nutricost and Micro Ingredients need 7 (750 mg or about 714 mg each).
How many creatine pills should I take a day?
Most people take 3 to 5 g of creatine a day, the daily amount in the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand. That is 4 pills a day for a 1.25 g capsule, or 7 pills for a 750 mg capsule. Follow your bottle's directions; serving sizes differ by brand.
Are creatine pills as effective as powder?
The capsules hold the same ingredient, creatine monohydrate. What counts is getting your grams each day. The differences are price and pill count: per 5 g, Optimum Nutrition capsules cost $0.67 and the same brand's powder costs $0.30, about 2.2 times as much.
Are creatine pills third-party tested?
7 of the 9 we checked are on a public testing list. NSF/ANSI 173 lists Animal and Pristine's. Informed Choice lists Optimum Nutrition, Vega and Jacked Factory. Informed Sport lists NOW Sports and Sports Research. We found Nutricost and Micro Ingredients on none of five lists. None is on NSF Certified for Sport or USP Verified.
What are the best creatine pills for women?
The same as for anyone: Animal Ready-To-Go Creatine Capsules. None of these has a women's formula; the creatine is the same. If you avoid gelatin, Vega uses a vegetarian capsule, costs $0.61 per 5 g, and is on Informed Choice.
Sources
- Amazon listings, Supplement Facts images and ingredient text, read October 5, 2026: Animal B0BQ1FZJS6, Optimum Nutrition B000GIQS0W, Vega B0FXGPYGFG, NOW Sports B0018OADEA, Jacked Factory B0C8K2Z6SH, Pristine's B0CT68RPXK, Sports Research B0DXRZ51DZ, Nutricost B01IW245EY, Micro Ingredients B0B9289VLY.
- Testing lists, searched October 5, 2026: NSF/ANSI 173, "creatine" and NSF/ANSI 173, Universal Nutrition; Informed Choice (October 2026); Informed Sport, NOW Sports and Informed Sport, Sports Research; NSF Certified for Sport; USP Verified.
- Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017. PMID 28615996.
- Powder comparison: our catalog row for Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine powder (60 servings), Amazon price checked October 5, 2026.